Choosing Sides
by Trixie Black Lestrange
Summary: Dora and her father go to visit someone at St. Mungo's the day of the Lestrange trial. What Dora sees and finds out will effect the rest of her life.


**Was reading some old PMs and got an idea for a oneshot. :D Enjoy!**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

"Dora, stay close," her father sighed as the girl hurried ahead of him more than he wanted. "You know how difficult it was for me to convince your mother it would be okay for me to bring you with me."

"Daaaaad," the seven-year-old pouted, "I'm fine."

Ted Tonks gave her a stern look, then held out his hand to her. "Come here," he said with a smile. "I have to disapparate anyway."

Dora pouted as she skipped over to her father. "We're not going to walk?"

"No, Dora, not today," Ted said with a frown as he took her hand. "It isn't safe."

* * *

When they appeared at St. Mungo's, Dora was immediately distracted by another child in the waiting room. "Hey!" she said to the red-haired boy. "How did you get that long of a nose?"

"Dora!" groaned her father, reaching out to pull her away from the boy and his father. "Don't ask—"

"Oh, she's fine," the man smiled.

"My brothers tricked me," the boy frowned, his ears red with embarrassment.

"Cool!" said Dora, and at her father's expression, added, "I mean, that they're so smart. Not that they did it to you."

The boy gave her a small smile. "I'm Percy. What's your name?"

She grinned. "I'm Dora," she told him. "Dad's here to visit a friend that's hurt."

Percy nodded, glancing up at her dad, and the boy's dad said, "She can talk with us if you want. We've been told it'll be an hour wait or more."

"I don't want to trouble you—"

"It's no trouble," the man said. "We'll be glad of her company." Percy nodded.

"All right, if you're sure," Ted said reluctantly. He turned to Dora. "Do not say anything rude. Stay here; do not leave this lobby."

Dora nodded eagerly, waving goodbye to her dad as he went to find what room his friend was in. She and the two Weasleys were surprised when they were called nearly ten minutes later.

Arthur Weasley looked concerned, but she grinned at him, sporting her own long nose and red hair. "Go on," she said. "I'll be okay right here." She settled back into her chair and nodded at them.

They left, still glancing back at her. Moments later, four Healers burst out of the double doors and Dora turned around to kneel on the chair so she could see.

Two of the Healers met some people at the door, and Dora saw that they were levitating injured wizards. "Death Eaters," growled one of the newcomers, an Auror. "Took out these two—I think they're pretty bad. Must be in protest of the trial."

The young girl realised that the two injured wizards were also wizards. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood on their robes and their broken, misshapen bones.

"Don't look, child. It isn't a sight for young eyes," the gruff man told her, and she glared at him, puffing out her chest.

"I'm not scared," she declared proudly. "I'm brave!"

He glared at her, following the Healers and his fallen comrades. The people around her began to murmur about a trial that was going on at the Ministry that very day.

As Dora became more and more curious, she slipped off her chair and left St. Mungo's. She hurried down the street to the hidden entrance to the Ministry, entering the booth and picking up the phone.

"Please state your name and purpose."

Nymphadora jumped in surprise, returning to her natural form. "I'm Dora," she said importantly. "I'm exploring." She picked up the badge that was provided for her, then went on to enter the Ministry.

She crept across the room into one of the lifts. Dora knew from her mother that the courtrooms were in the lower floors of the Ministry. She wasn't there yet.

Everyone who got on and off the lift gave the child strange looks, but Dora was there for one purpose: to find out what was going on.

When she finally reached the correct floor, she hurried on through the shadows as silently as she could, knowing that she could not get caught. Dora sneaked along to where most of the people were going, silently standing by the door.

Finally, Dora darted into the room, finding herself a dark corner where she could see the chained chairs down below on the main floor. After a few moments, everyone went silent and Dora stared as the door opened on the floor.

A feeling of terrible cold came over her, and Dora shivered slightly, seeing two dark creatures bringing in a woman whose dark eyes flashed, pride in every step. Nymphadora stifled a cry of shock. It was her mother.

But it couldn't be. Her mother was safe, at home. The witch was forced into a chair and chained down along with two men and a young boy. Dora saw a wild, half crazed look in the black-haired woman's eyes and felt that she knew the witch somehow.

The four prisoners were announced as Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch, Jr. Dora frowned: she knew that name. That was the man she'd recognized when she'd first entered the room, and she was sure this was the man's son.

Nymphadora watched in horror as they were accused of terrible crimes, though she realised that the black-haired witch was not her mother. She felt terrible as the young boy begged his father to save him, though his father showed no mercy, condemning the four to Azkaban.

The woman yelled out in defiance, her words of loyalty to her master burning into Nymphadora's mind, and the girl gripped the edge of the rail as she stared down at the witch. She was so brave, so powerful to defy her enemies when there was no hope for her escape. Dora wanted to help the woman, wanted to reunite her with her master that she seemed to love so dearly—but she was only a little girl.

Nymphadora crept out of the room as dementors dragged a screaming Bellatrix from the room. She was shaking slightly, frightened and angry at what she'd seen, but not sure what it all meant. She was nearly to the lift when someone said, "You there, girl!"

She turned and saw a blonde witch watching her, her hood up. Nymphadora turned and hurried toward the lift, not wanting to be stopped by anyone until she could get back to St. Mungo's and hide in her father's arms. To her horror, the blonde witch walked onto the lift with her, the doors closing them in together, and the woman looked down at her carefully. "You're Nymphadora, aren't you?"

She nodded, and the woman asked, "Do your parents know where you are?"

"N—no," Dora said nervously. "I—I just wanted to see the trial...everyone was talking about it."

"What did you think?" the witch asked her softly.

"She—she looked like Mum," Dora said, almost in a whisper. "A very mad Mum. But she's so brave! She must want her master back very much." The witch nodded slightly, and Dora asked, "Do you know her?"

"She...is my sister, child," said Narcissa Malfoy.

Dora gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry," she said. "You must miss her already."

Narcissa returned the child's smile, then answered, "I do."

Nymphadora looked at her for a moment, then crossed the lift and hugged the witch tightly. "She'll be back," she said fiercely. "She believes her master will return for her."

"Yes, child, I'm sure he will," came the reply, and Dora felt the woman's hesitation before the woman placed a hand on her back and returned her hug slightly.

"We will wait," Dora said, stepping back and looking up at the witch firmly. Narcissa nodded uncomfortably, and Dora settled against the edge of the lift, falling silent as others joined them.

Dora finally exited the lift on the main floor, ready to leave the Ministry, though someone grabbed her wrist and she held back a yell, turning to see who it was. She gasped in shock as she saw who was hiding behind the hood. "Mum?" she breathed. "You're safe!"

Andromeda Black Tonks looked furious. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Where is your father?"

"I—I was bored and wanted to explore," she stuttered. "Dad's still visiting his friend—I think."

"Explore what?!" Andromeda glared at her. "I've told you over and over how dangerous it is to go out by yourself—your father is going to hear about this."

"But everyone was talking about the trial," Dora complained. "And I wanted to see it!"

Andromeda froze just before she went to disapparate with her daughter. "You were there? Nymphadora Tonks, why?"

Dora shrugged helplessly at her mother, now scared of what would happen to her. "I saw some injured Aurors brought to St. Mungo's and they said it was in protest of the trial. I wanted to know what happened."

The brown-haired witch took a deep breath, then grabbed her daughter's arm and disapparated home with her. She marched her daughter through the front door and shoved her down onto the couch, looking worried. "What did you see?"

"Everything," Dora shrugged. "Mum, Bella's so brave! She didn't care what they did to her; she was going to follow her master. She didn't even cry. I would have cried."

"Oh, Dora!" Andromeda groaned, sinking down onto the couch next to her daughter.

"I met her sister," Dora said eagerly, then frowned. "She told me that she was sad Bella was going away. We agreed that we would wait for the Dark Lord to bring her back."

Andromeda's head shot up and she stared at her daughter in horror. "Nymphadora, you must never say things like that!" she breathed. "Bellatrix is considered an evil witch, and you should know better than to discuss things like that so openly with others!"

Dora nodded in remembrance. "She didn't really like when I told her that we'd wait for Bella and her master to return," Dora said. "But I think she likes her sister, not the Dark Lord."

"Dora," Andromeda said in pain, "hush for a few moments and let me talk." Dora looked to her mother, her lips pressed together. "First of all, you need to know that both of those witches are my sisters as well, and they are your aunts."

Nymphadora gawked at her mother, but Andromeda wasn't finished. "They are not allowed to speak to me because I married a Mudblood. Bellatrix in particular hates me and has sworn to kill me, you, and your father because I ran away from my family for you. Bellatrix has made a lot of bad choices, and has done many, many evil things, Dora. She and those boys made two Aurors go insane because of Dark spells they did to them. I love my sister, Nymphadora, but I cannot condone her actions."

Andromeda saw her daughter's eyes widen in shock again, and reached out, taking her hand in hers. "Dora, I know that Bellatrix is very brave, and very strong, but it's for all the wrong reasons. You should think of being more like Narcissa: doing your duty and always thinking of your family first."

"Like you," Dora grinned, and Andromeda gave her a half smile.

"I hope I do," Andromeda agreed weakly. "Now, Dora, please don't run off when we're out. It's still dangerous and you could get hurt."

Dora nodded, her thoughts still far away. Was Bellatrix—her aunt Bellatrix—really evil, or was her mother lying, or even afraid of her? Her mum did seem to be afraid of something, though it didn't seem that she was afraid of Bella. She also seemed hurt….

Nymphadora reached over and hugged her mother tightly. "Mum, I love you," she said firmly. "Remember that no matter what, I would never hurt you."

"Dora," Andromeda whispered, hugging her daughter in return, "please, please don't become like Bella. I don't want to lose you too."

"Mum," Dora said in wonder, then clung to the witch more tightly. "You'll never lose me, no matter what I do." Andromeda closed her eyes tightly, and Dora was confused even more, wondering why it was she herself that her mother seemed to fear.

The front door opened, and Andromeda excused herself to greet her wayward husband. Dora curled up on the couch, confused of it all. Bella's other sister was nice, but Bella was evil? Dora didn't understand how that could be if they were both forbidden to speak to her mother. And Bella had been so sure that waiting for her master was the right thing—she'd been willing to do anything! Nymphadora sighed heavily. It was too much for her to process at such a young age. She'd have to choose when she was older.


End file.
